Dispensing closure for containers



R. w.V WILSON DISPENSING CLOSURE FOR CONTAINERS March 23, 1943.

Filed April 3, 1940 INVENTOR BYja/)f/z iff/Zim ./@M ,s

ATTORNEYS to ysuch use.

Patented Mar. 23, 1943 UNITED STATES- .PATENT OFFICE nisPENsING CLOSURE; FOR CONTAINERS Ralph W, Wilson, New York, N. Y. Application April 3, 1940, serial No. 327,565

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to dispensing closures for containers for liquid cosmetic or pharmaceutical preparations such as toilet water and' perfumes, for example, although it is not limited More particularly, it relates to dispensing closures of the type which include a discharge nozzle and manually operable air compressor means for discharging liquid from the container through the nozzle in the form of a spray.

In dispensing closures of this type which have been used heretofore, the liquid spray has been produced by directing a stream of air from the air compressor means across the open end of a conduit whose other end is immersed in the liquid in the container. The dispensing closure of the present invention differs from prior type closures f this character in that the liquid spray is produced by utilizing one stroke of the air compressor means to withdraw a certain liquid charge from the container, which charge is forced through a narrow passage in the nozzle by air pressure created at the next successive stroke of the air compressor means.

An object of the invention is to provide a new and improved liquid dispensing closure which is sightly in appearance, simple and foolproof in operation, and which is inexpensive and easy to manufacture.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dispensing closure of the above character which is compact and small in size, whereby it may be operated effectively by the hand of the user in which it is held.

A further object of the invention is to provide a dispensing closure of the above character wherein a charge of liquid is withdrawn from the container and is subsequently forced by air through a restricted passage in a discharge nozzle, whereby the liquid may be effectively dispensed in the form a spray.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved dispensing closure of the above character wherein a charge of liquid is withdrawn from the container by the air compressor means during its suction stroke, and is discharged through the nozzle during the next compression stroke oi the air compressor means.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following-detailed description proceeds, taken with reference to the following drawing, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates an embodiment of the invention in which the dispensing closureis adapted to be screwed on the neck of the container;

'Figure 2 shows another embodiment of the invention similar to that shown invFigure 1; and

Figure 3 illustrates a modied form of dispensing closure.

The embodiment disclosed in Figure l is adapted to be screwed on the neck of the container Il in the same fashion as a conventional type screw cap. To this end, it comprises a cap-shaped Vclosure portion 39, formed in the shape of a sector of a sphere and made out of a plastic material, for example. The closure member 39 is provided with an inwardly extending disk-like portion 40, on which is formed a downwardly extending tube 4| having an axial bore 42' therein. Tightly fitted within the bore 42 is a conventional type ball check valve assembly 43, to which is secured 'a conduit 44, the lower end of which 'is immersed in the liquid in the container.

The closure member 39 is also provided with an interiorly threaded portion 45 which is adapted to be screwedon the externally threaded neck 46 of the container I l, a conventional type washer 4l being seated on the rim of the container Il to insure a tight joint.

In the upperv portion of the closure member 39 is formed a cylindrical chamber 48 which oommunicates with the bore 42 in the tube 4l and which also communicates with a laterally extending passage 49 formed in the closure member 39, within which the discharge nozzle 26 is inserted. At the upper edge of the chamber 4B is formed a circular recess 59 which seats the lower flanged portion 5I of a cup-shaped air compressor bulb 52 made of rubber or some other resilient mate rial.

The nozzle 26 is provided with a small dispensing aperture 2l and it has tightly fitted therein a plug 28 which is externally threaded to provide a spiral passage 29 :of small cross-sectional area between itself and the inner wall of the nozzle 26. The outer surface of the nozzle 26 is threaded at the end thereof to receive a conventional type cap 39 which may be screwed on when the dispensing closure is not in use or when it is packed for shipment.

In assembling the device, a close fitting iianged cap 53, of metal for example, is placed on top of the air compressor bulb 52 and it is secured to the closure member 39 by a metal retaining iiange 54. To this end the retaining iiange 54 is shaped to conform to the contour of the closure member 39, and its lower edge is bent inwardly overa beveled portion 55 formed at the lower extremity of the closure member 39. The retaining flange 54 is provided with a circular aperture 55, the

partly by liquid drawn up from the container II through the ball check valve assembly 43. However, the dimensions of the spiral passage 29 formed by the threaded plug 28 and the nozzle 26 are made small enough to insure that air from this source will have a negligible effect in relieving the vacuum in the chamber 48. Accordingly, a quantity 0f liquid will be drawn up from the container I I into the chamber 48.

When the air compressor bulb 52 is next depressed, the increased air pressure in the chamber 48 will close the check valve assembly 43 and force the liquid Yfrom the chamber 48 through the spiral passage 29 between the threaded plug 28 and the inner wall of the nozzle 26 and out of the aperture 21 in the nozzle 2'6. It will be readily apparent that during this operation the air will be thoroughly mixed with the liquid so that the liquid will be dispensed through the aperture 21 in the form of a nely divided spray.

It has been found that if the air in the container is initially at atmospheric pressure, the dispensing closure of the invention will operate very effectively without an air vent during the short periods in which devices of this type are normally in continuous use. Furthermore, there is suiiicient leakage of air through the ball check valve assembly 43, when the device is not in use, to restore the air pressure in the container to atmospheric pressure Without using an air vent.

The embodiment shown in Figure 1 may be constructed in a wide variety of different forms.

For example, in Figure 2, instead of providing a hemispherical type closure, a cylindrical type cap 59, made of plastic material may be used. In this modification, the upper end of the plastic cap 59 is provided with an upwardly and inwardly extending rim 60 which is adapted to be received within a circumferential recess 6I formed in the lower end of a conical air compressor bulb 62.

A conical metal cap 63 of similar form is seated on top of the conical air compressor bulb 62 and it is provided with a laterally extending circular flange 64 which isheld in position by a retaining flange 65 shaped somewhat like the frustrum of a cone. The lower portion of the retaining iiange 65 is provided with an inwardly extending circumferential portion 66 adapted to be received in a similar circumferential recess 61 formed in the outer surface of the rim 6|. The operation of this modification is analogous to that of the embodiment disclosed in Figure l.

In the modification shown in Figure 3, the air compressor bulb 68 is made partly conical and Although the conduit for providing communication between the liquid in the container and the cavity in the closure member in the modifications described above has in some instances been designated as a flexible tube, obviously it might be made of glass or metal, as desired.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the invention provides a dispensing closure for containers which is sightly in appearance, simple and foolproof in operation and easy and inexpensive to manufacture. Furthermore, the elements are retained in compact relationship to one another, whereby the air compressor means may be operated by fingers on the same hand of the user in which the container is held.

Obviously, many changes may be made in the several embodiments described above within the scope of the invention and the latter is not intended to be in any way limited except as deiined in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A dispensing closure for liquid containers having a threaded neck portion, comprising a threaded cap member adapted to be screwed on ,the threaded neck portion of a container, said cap member having an upwardly open, cylindrical cavity formed therein, terminating in an annular recess formed in the upper face of the cap member, a flexible air compressor element having a laterally extending fiange at the bottom thereof which is adapted to be snugly received in said recess in the cap member, a cover member for a portion of said air compressor element, a retaining flange engaging said cap member and overlying the outer peripheral portion of said cover member for retaining the air compressor element and cap member in operative relation, a discharge nozzle in the cap member providing restricted communication between the cavity and the atmosphere, a conduit having its lower end limmersed in the liquid in the container and comvrnunicating with said cavity, and check valve means in said conduit for blocking the passage of air therethrough when said air compressor element is actuated and permitting liquid to ow from the container therethrough when the air compressor element is released.

2. A dispensing closure for liquid containers having a threaded neck comprising a threaded cap adapted to be screwed on the neck of a container, said cap having an upwardly open, cylindrical cavity formed therein, terminating in an annular recess formed in the upper face of the cap, a flexible air compressor element having a laterally extending flange at the bottom thereof which is adapted to be snugly received in said re,- cess in the cap, a cover member seated on top of said air compressor element and having a lip formed about the rim thereof, a retaining flange engaging said cap member and overlying the lip on the cover member for retaining the air compressor element and cap in operative relationship, a discharge nozzle in the cap providing a restricted communication between said cavity and the atmosphere, a conduit connected with said tube in the cap and having its lower end immersed in the liquid in the container, and check valve means operatively associated with said conduit for permitting the passage of uid only from the container to the cavity in the cap.

RALPH W. WILSON. 

